Review: Sephora – Mud Mask Purifying & Mattifying

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I got this in my Sephora May Play! Box and tried this twice: once with exfoliating once without exfoliating (I like to exfoliate before applying mask sometimes). To be honest I’ve never tried a mud mask before, only clay masks, so I was definitely intrigued by this and the difference between mud masks and clay masks. A quick Google search pulled up a quick glance of information that I needed. Clay masks are more beneficial for people with oily skin or prone to acne breakouts because clay masks help absorb dirt and oil. Mud masks are more of an overall skin-healing mask that hydrates skin. So if your skin leans more towards the dry side, I would choose using a mud mask over a clay mask. This didn’t stop me from using this mask, though, because an extra dose of hydration is always welcome!

The first thing I noticed was the stinging on my face right after applying. It wasn’t awful (and trust me, I’ve used masks before that stung so bad, I would cry) so I left it on. I definitely felt the stinging more during the time I exfoliated, so this is a mask I would not recommend exfoliating before applying. Even though this mask has a thicker consistency, it applies very well on my face because it’s super smooth. Also it dries super quick. It’s completely dry just 5 minutes after application. This is what it looks like right after applying and right after drying, respectively:

I couldn’t help taking pics of myself like this lol

Once it’s completely dry, you’ll want to rinse it out. It suggests using warm water to rinse, but I always use lukewarm-water-that-is-closer-to-cool to wash out masks. I know it’ll be easier to remove clay/mud masks with warm water, but washing it with warm water after applying clay masks irritates my skin. After washing it out and patting dry, I noticed my face feeling super soft. Like, I said “oooooo” out loud to myself as I felt up my face. No shame. It also did not feel dry or tight on my face (a sign to tell how drying the mask is on your face) the first time, but it did feel dry the time I exfoliated. I also thought that my face looked brighter after use.

Overall my first experience with a mud mask was decent. I did not like the scent or the stinging on my skin, but I did like that it left my face feeling soft and looking brighter after using. If your skin type leans towards dry or combination, I think this would be a great mask to not only purify your pores, but also not over-dry your skin while doing it. I gave it a 3.5 out of 5 because while it did leave my skin feeling soft and looking bright, I could have probably gotten that without the scent and the stinging on my face. I’m definitely going to find other mud masks to try now, too.